Steps towards a Sustainable Garden

Compost Mulch Use water wisely Use recycled and waste materials Don’t remove green waste off site, even weeds – you are robbing your garden of nutrient

– compost or mulch it, turn weeds into liquid feed or solarise them in a black plastic bag Grow plants suited to the local environment – local indigenous plants, local vegetable

seed Reuse – pots, larger prunings for plant supports Grow plants for pollinators and beneficial insects Don’t use pesticides Avoid unsustainable products (such as those using peat moss, coir peat is ok) Avoid petrol driven garden tools such as blower vacs and consider a hand push mower Make the garden insect, bird, plant and mammal friendly Use natural weedicides - such as 1 cup salt in a litre of vinegar Build a nutrient rich soil that will produce strong and healthy plants in your vegetable or

fruit garden Be mindful that many ‘water wise’ plants have weed potential. We already have too

many garden escapees in our local bushland Minimise soil disturbance – it upsets the ecology and beckons weeds

Some useful websites:

Sustainable Gardening Australia www.sgaonline.org.au Permaculture – www.permaculture.org.au Gardening Australia – www.abc.net.au/gardening Organic gardening – www.thevegetablepatch.com Very edible gardens – www.veryediblegardens.com